2 Ways to Improve Your Sporting Clays, Skeet and Trap Shooting

With the National tournament underway, the usual pressure flooded the shooting grounds. After watching the show birds, the elderly gentleman walked in front of me, mumbling to himself. Peering into his open box of chokes, he was stressed and unsure of what to do…obviously believing what he decided would affect his upcoming score on this station. All his good intentions aside, his decision would have little if any effect on the outcomes when he stepped into the shooting box.

Silently, I watched him shoot, missing a yard behind both his targets. Twice. OOOO. Frustrated and discouraged, he turned and looked at me, saying he’d chosen the wrong chokes for these targets…pleading with me to help. With no time to teach, I suggested if he wanted to hit these targets, deliberately “miss in front” of the birds. Deliberately. I assured him his chokes would work. He did. Deliberately. Four times. His last four targets…XXXX. Revelation secure…he now understood it wasn’t his equipment…it was all up to him. He thanked me as he came out of the box.

Please, before you do, there’s no need to remind me how important our equipment is. I agree wholeheartedly and have, over the decades, set up my gun, chokes and loads to work dependably and consistently. Unquestionably and unconditionally…they will work…and they do work…every time and all the time!! PROVIDED…I do my part. Because, for you and me both, our swing errors won’t be forgiven. The hard truth is the world’s finest guns, chokes and loads won’t break the target dependably and consistently if the muzzle is pointed in the wrong direction. And that direction rests solely in our good hands. It truly is all on us folks…always has been…always will be…proven countless times.

Moving on… 

Every student I have ever worked with has been a blessing and a privilege for yours truly. Having worked with thousands of good folks who’ve come to learn, history has shown my novice and intermediate students are, generally speaking, a bit more open-minded during their lessons. Said respectfully…my advanced students are more cautious about making changes to their shooting methods. This is very understandable, those methods having carried them to their advanced skill level. I am frequently asked to be patient and open-minded about their keeping their method preferences. I assure them I will be. Politely, I also ask them if they want to keep a method that breaks their targets “sometimes?” Regardless of its X history, if their method has already proven to be, at times, inconsistent and questionably dependable…do they want to keep it? 

“You can practice shooting eight hours a day,

but if your technique is wrong,

then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way.”

-Michael Jordan

This brings us to what I call a requirement for actual shooting improvement. That improvement is measurable, dependable and ongoing. The requirement? Change. For without change, there can be no improvement. Why? Because I say so? No. Because the definition of insanity says so.

Here’s the misunderstanding that eventually (and predictably) causes so much frustration and discouragement among so many shooters.

X. Congratulations. The shooter tells himself…good job. And why not? There’s the X. Obviously, everything went right and there is solid proof that our shooter is improving. Yes? Maybe not. The question here is, after months and maybe years of shooting countless shells downrange, why is our shooter stuck in a scoring plateau? Monthly and, in some cases yearly, inconsistent shooting being the norm? What’s going on here is no mystery. See Michael’s quote above.

The hard truth is an inconsistent swing can break targets “sometimes.” But not consistently. Until our shooter’s inconsistencies…aka swing errors…are discovered, evaluated and corrected…i.e., changed…there can be no real improvement. How can there be? How can an inconsistent, incorrect swing ever deliver consistent results?

I share with my students that the basics…the fundamentals…are simply non-negotiable. For those who are serious about becoming more consistent on their scorecards, one must understand that swing precision cannot be compromised. Hence, swing precision is required to break targets consistently. Here is where rifle and handgun shooters have the edge over we shotgun shooters. They know full well that precision cannot be compromised, or the target will be missed. Our clay target sports require similar precision. Meaning…don’t count on that shot string to make up for our swing error…our precision loss…because, as we all know, it surely won’t! At least, not consistently.

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles…I am not advocating aiming our shotguns OR measuring target leads in Sporting Clays. I am saying…Trap, Sporting and Skeet…for our swing to deliver consistent results on the target and on our scorecard…swing precision cannot be compromised. In order to create that precision, one must first build a consistent, repeatable, ultra-dependable swing. That’s the only place where X consistency can come from.

If you are not happy with your inconsistent performances and results…breaking your targets sometimes for what seems like forever…making changes in your game will indeed be necessary to raise your skill level. Competent instruction can help. I respectfully recommend my 3 books. 

Thanks for joining us here again. Be safe, shoot well and we look forward to seeing you out on the course.

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XXXX

About Dan Schindler

Dan Schindler is one of only 60 worldwide members of the Guild of Shooting Instructors (UK) and is one of the most highly respected Sporting Clays and Wingshooting Instructors in the US. Dan is an NSCA Level III Instructor (since 1995) and founded the Paragon School of Sporting with one goal in mind. Whether it be for the advanced competitor or providing the basics to the entry-level shooter, Paragon provides the simplest, most practical and most effective Instruction, Coaching and Mental Training for the Sporting Clays, Skeet, Trap & Wingshooting enthusiast. Dan Schindler helps shooters alleviate a lot of their frustration by taking the mystery out of breaking targets, calling their own misses, and make their own corrections. Lessons are fun, enlightening and our clients learn to shoot better in minutes!  

Dan Schindler's Books

"Recommended for shooters of all skill levels, Coaches, Instructors

and parents of youth shooters."

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition is THE Gold Standard Primer It's all about the fundamentals, a requirement for good shooting. This book is used by high school and college shooting teams, recreational and competitive shooters from around the world. Solid, valuable, concise information that has helped thousands of shooters shoot more consistently with higher scores.

To The Target (Book II) Builds on the steps outlined in Book I. Emphasises Gun Management skills when the trap fires, creating a consistent, reliable, trustworthy swing.

Beyond the Target (Book III) is for shooters of all levels, filled with valuable information, clay target truths. Entertaining and a culmination of 3 decades of Dan's life's work as a teacher, competitor, published writer, and much more.

Here's what Shooters, Coaches and Clay Shooting USA saying...

Take Your Best Shot (Book I), 3rd Edition

To The Target (Book II)

Beyond The Target (Book III)